This invention relates generally to a plunger device for clearing a clogged drain or pipe; and more specifically relates to a plunger device that has the option for generating a fluid pushing force under pressure to flow into the drain, or for generating a fluid pulling force under pressure to flow out from the drain and into the cup only.
The conventional plunger device includes an elongated handle connected to a flexible hollow cup having an open bottom end defined by a circular lip. To properly use such known plungers, the handle is positioned so that only a portion of the lip of the cup initially contacts the surface surrounding the clogged drain at a suitable angle, about 45 degrees. The handle is then pushed downward to distort and collapse and reduce the size of the partially seated cup and thereafter moving the plunger handle in an arc so that the entire lip of the collapsed cup is in contact with the drain surface to create a seal of the lip of the cup with the drain surface. The handle is then pulled upward (or outward) to expand and straighten the cup and return the cup to its original shape. This causes fluid under pressure (suction) to rush outwardly from the clogged drain pipe and into the expanded cup, due to the vacuum created in the cup. This loosens and breaks apart the clogged impurities by inducing a force in the fluid of the drain such that the fluid attacks the clog from the opposite direction of drainage. This direction offers to break the clog from the opposite direction that it was formed, where it is weakest. This action often unseats the cup from the surface. The process is usually repeated in quick cycles order to sufficiently break apart the impurities clogging the drain and causing the blockage. The cycles must be rapid such that the fluid lifted from the drain should not to flow back into the drain by the onset of the next cycle. Utilizing the conventional plunger in this method is physically challenging, requires greater effort, and is unreliable at best.
A problem with the use of conventional plunger devices in the method of reorienting the plunger handle is that frequent sealing and distorting of the shape of the cup caused appreciable leakage of the forced fluid, thus decreasing and reducing the quantity of forced fluid available to act upon and free the clogged materials inside the drain pipe.
Moreover, the users of the known plungers often do not properly seal the lip of the cup to the surface around the inlet to the clogged pipe due to the range of motion involved for this method. Hence, a proper vacuum was not achieved for pulling the clogged material out from the drain pipe.
Another problem with the known plungers was that the fluid under pressure streamed inside the clogged drain when the handle was pushed inward for compressing the cup. At times it is necessary to induce force into the drain in attempt to move a clog free further into the drain. But, this often causes the clogged material to tighten and compact inside the drain pipe or the clogged material was pushed further inside the pipe, making it more difficult to free the clogged pipe. Thus, the operation of the known plungers was often counter-productive.
Canadian Patent No. 484,028, dated Jun. 17, 1952, entitled xe2x80x9cDrain Opening Apparatusxe2x80x9d to P. Larue discloses a manually operable plunger device having a ball positioned inside a hollow head, forming a valve. The valve seat has an open condition when the ball is spaced upward from the seat to permit fluid flow into the atmosphere, and a closed condition when the ball is seated on the seat to close or block any flow into the atmosphere.
After the cup is compressed or pressed flat and the valve ball is repositioned on the seat and the ball closes air flow out into the atmosphere. Upon raising or straightening the shape of the cup to increase the volume of the cup, a vacuum is created inside the cup and fluids inside the drain rush to fill the vacuum; and causes the valve ball to move upward and open the pathway to the outside.
The valve ball in the Larue device, however, cannot be locked in place on the valve seat when the user of the device is reducing the volume of the cup for providing a pushing force into the drain to clean the clogged drain because the valve ball is free floating.
In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, a lockable plunger apparatus is disclosed for clearing clogged material from the inside of a drain pipe of a sink, tube or like having a fluid inlet surrounded by a surface. The apparatus includes a handle, an inverted cup, a valve housing connected between the handle and the cup, a valve seat having an opening for communicating the inside of the cup with the housing via the fluid outlet, and a valve ball positioned in the housing for opening and closing the opening of the valve seat. The opening is closed to prevent fluid from flowing to the outside when the ball is spaced from the valve seat, and a moveable bolt in the housing abuts the ball to lock the ball on the valve seat to close the opening.
The valve switches from a normally closed position to an open position in response to fluid under pressure generated when the cup is compressed or flattened, to provide a fluid pathway from the cup to the outside of the apparatus. Thus, when the valve is in the open position, the fluid flow is diverted away from the clogged drain pipe.
The valve is maintained closed in response to fluid under pressure flowing from the inside the clogged drain to the inside of the cup when the cup is caused to expand and thereby return to its original or normal shape.
At least one fluid outlet is formed in the housing of the valve to provide a passage to the outside when the valve is open. The fluid pathway to the aperture is closed when the valve is in the closed position.
In one embodiment, the plunger for clearing clogging material from a drainage pipe includes a flexible, hollow inverted cup having an open end for contacting a contact surface of a drainage pipe. The cup forms a cup chamber therewithin. An elongated handle is operatively coupled to the cup and is configured to transmit force to the cup to cause the cup to distort. The plunger includes a valve housing assembly operatively disposed between the cup and the handle, where the valve housing assembly includes a pathway within the valve assembly configured to permit fluid communication between the cup chamber and an external environment. A valve is disposed within the pathway for blocking the pathway. A valve position controller is configured to releasably retain the valve in a blocking position to block the pathway to prevent the fluid communication such that when the controller retains the valve in the blocking position, application of downward force on the handle creates a fluid flow under pressure from the cup chamber into the fluid inlet. When the controller does not retain the valve in the blocking position, application of downward force on the handle permits fluid flow from the cup chamber to the external environment, while application of upward force on the handle creates a fluid flow under suction from the fluid inlet into the cup chamber.